This invention relates to Venetian blinds, and, more particularly, to a unique slat design that may be used in a Venetian, horizontal or mini blind.
Jalousies, as Venetian blinds are known in France, date back 232 years. The first known drawing of a jalousie was by Roubo, in Paris, in 1769, in a book titled, L Art du menuisier, Plate 29, reproduced in Antiques magazine, February 1948.
Venetian, horizontal, or mini blinds are popular window treatments and can be found in many residential and commercial settings. They are inexpensive, provide privacy and room darkening, are easy to open and close, are easy to install, are relatively durable, have long life-expectancy, are available in in-stock sizes due to more standard window sizes and they provide uniform exterior appearance. A white or off-white one-inch slat width in plastics or aluminum is the largest selling version.
A typical Venetian blind includes a quantity of horizontal slats resting on the rungs of two or more fabric ladders, which are movably suspended from a top-rail, which is mounted at the top of a window frame. The ladders"" vertical members tilt by raising one member while simultaneously lowering the other member, causing the rungs and the slats to simultaneously tilt. The typical tilt control is by rotating a tilt-wand or by pulling on either one of two tilt cords, which exit the top-rail. Two or more vertical lift-cords are attached to a bottom-rail, pass through vertically-aligned openings in each slat, enter the top-rail, turn and exit the top-rail through a cord-lock mechanism and terminate in a break-apart tassel or two separate tassels. Pulling the lift-cords raises the bottom-rail, sequentially collecting the slats from the bottom up and compressing the entire array of slats against the top-rail.
Consumer research indicates that the largest selling, in-stock, white or off-white, one-inch width slat, plastics or aluminum version is considered more utilitarian than decorative, more commercial than residential, and consumers express concern that everyone else has the same thing.
The Venetian blind of this invention includes a decorative or irregular edge treatment for the interior-facing long edge of the slats of the blind. The exterior-facing long edge remains straight; therefore the exterior appearance remains unchanged. The decorative treatment of the interior-facing long edge of the slats allows the blind to remain in the overall mainstream of popularity while becoming more decorative, residential, and exclusive in appearance.
The decorative treatments are applicable to slats made of aluminum, plastics, wood, composition, or other materials. Typically, the amount of material removed from the edge of a slat, creating the decorative edge treatment, is less than the amount of overlap between slats, thereby maintaining similar room darkening and privacy qualities. In some blinds, where the slats"" overlap is at a minimum, the ladders"" rung spacing may have to be shortened, possibly resulting in one or more additional slats per vertical foot of ladder.
There are numerous decorative edge treatments that are contemplated by the present invention. The different decorative treatments allow exclusivity for different channels of distribution, thereby offering a retailer greater exclusivity.
When the slat is in the full open-to-view position, the decorative edge treatment is barely noticeable due to the very thin material of most slats. In the full closed-to-view position, the decorative edge treatment is quite noticeable, especially during daytime as the light filtering between the slats accentuates the visually decorative treatment of the slats decorative interior-facing long edges.
One method of manufacture is a matched set of roller dies to, for example, scallop the one interior-facing long edge of an aluminum slat, similar to the matched set of roller dies currently utilized to crown the aluminum slat material just prior to cutting the slats to the desired length. For extruded plastics slats, a similar roller or stamping die can be utilized. For thermoformed plastics slats, a similar roller or stamping die can also be utilized. For wood or composition slats, a stamping or routing process may be preferable.
Toti et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,567,256 discloses a Venetian blind having undulating or festooned slats. Nowhere do Toti et al. teach a slat having a straight long edge and an irregular long edge.
Potts has a series of design patents (U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 361,009, 362,978, 363,386, 363,387, and 369,285) each of which discloses a vertical louver having both long edges irregular. Nowhere does Potts teach a slat having a straight long edge and an irregular long edge.
Litecki, U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 401,097 and 401,098, discloses a blind with predominating slats having both long edges irregular. Although Litecki appears to teach a single slat having a straight long exterior-facing edge and an irregular long interior-facing edge (i.e., the top slat), it is for the purpose of allowing the slat to better fit adjacent the blind""s header, and is thus limited to one slat only.
Spektor, U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 407,935 and 407,936, discloses vertical louvers having both long edges irregular. Nowhere does Spektor teach a slat having a straight long edge and an irregular long edge.